YouTube adds 4K support for live streaming

There still may be a paucity of content and just a sliver of buy-in among consumers, but YouTube is going all in with 4K/UHD, offering content providers the opportunity to live stream 4K live streams for 360-degree video and standard video.

In a blog post, YouTube said the format will let creators and partners stream high-resolution video, and let viewers enjoy the clearest picture possible when watching a live stream on 4K-supported devices.

“The image quality is just mind-blowing on screens that support it, and in 360 degrees … the clarity can truly transport you,” said Kurt Wilms, a senior product manager for YouTube.

Got a 4K set and want to check it out? You’re in luck. The Game Awards show on Thursday will be live streamed in 4K resolution.

YouTube enabled 4K video support in 2010, and says it now has the largest library in the world of 4K videos online.

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There still may be a paucity of content and just a sliver of buy-in among consumers, but YouTube is going all in with 4K/UHD, offering content providers the opportunity to live stream 4K live streams for 360-degree video and standard video.

In a blog post, YouTube said the format will let creators and partners stream high-resolution video, and let viewers enjoy the clearest picture possible when watching a live stream on 4K-supported devices.

A new study says U.S. households have an average of eight connected devices, and said a third (32%) of homes have at least one streaming media player connected to the Internet, a modest increase of about 7 million homes over a year ago.

That penetration is likely to increase the number of consumers interested in streaming 4K UHD content, but the large number of connected devices could put a strain on the home network’s ability to handle 4K content delivery.